Worst fears came true. My R1T died at a light. Update today(8/18)

[Akay07]

For what it’s worth… I sent an email to RJ a few months back with some concerns and questions — he replied a day later answering some of my email and thanking me for reaching out.

The point being, if you haven’t already, email the Sr Staff including RJ and let them know of your situation in a very polite and professional way… you may be surprised and get some better traction. Pun intended ?

What is their email?

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[Bullitt]

What is their email?

RJs email is [email protected] and I’ve found that the rest of their emails are structured as first initial, last [email protected] — find other people and use that formula

 

[NY_Rob]

[email protected]

 

[Akay07]

RJs email is [email protected] and I’ve found that the rest of their emails are structured as first initial, last [email protected] — find other people and use that formula

Ok. I email him. I just texted my guide a long message. And he said that was in constant contact with his leadership and how to make this right.

 

[Bullitt]

I hope you get it sorted quickly! I’ve got a decent amount of patience, but I also may have lost my $#@! by now too.

 

[mecrider82]

Yeah, not sure who to reach out to that is above my guide. This has to be such a rare failure...i mean within 350 miles and it failed. I just feel they should be doing more to get me a loaner and not having to tell them...no my truck was actually delivered. I would love to contact someone above my guide

My truck arrives next week so I can’t speak for my Rivian experience yet but I encountered a similar situation with a previous ICE truck, on day 4 and 200 miles the transmission seized up on the highway and I almost got crushed by a tractor trailer trying to get off the road….came from the factory with a pinched tranny line, they ended up replacing the transmission 3 times after it seized up a few more times and finally they had to buy the truck back as a lemon and give me a new truck, but that took 6 months and getting the Better Business Bureau involved….keeping my fingers crossed for you that you have better luck and that they work with you to make it right! I feel your frustration though, nothing like watching a brand new vehicle be towed away completely dead and then having the manufacturer try to screw you over….

 

[Akay07]

I hope you get it sorted quickly! I’ve got a decent amount of patience, but I also may have lost my $#@! by now too.

Email is sent to RJ. We will see.

 

[Count Orlok]

The 1st towing agency canceled the job and now we are back waiting for a tow. Its going on over 6 hrs and my truck is still on the side of the road. I asked if I should call the police department and he didn't know. I'm afraid it will be towed to an impound lot or something.

someone should start a thread for the Brick Club members...

 

[Scoiatael]

I heard from guide this morning. No loaner available and the SC claims to not have received the truck when my app says otherwise. Not thrilled with the track record and all of the problems getting a to yesterday and getting calls past midnight.

Yes. The car has to be in neutral and put in tow mode. That's why they need they nfc card I belive. I asked about the return policy, he said it would take weeks for them to return the full purchase price and it only sounds like I can get a new truck if the repairs are excessive. I will try to push for that no matter what the repairs are. But that has not been a smooth process.

I honestly would push to return the truck at this point. It could be months before they can ship a new drive unit if that is the problem. You probably are almost out of the 7 day period as well.

 

[ajdelange]

It's going to be a few years before you can assume the tow truck driver will know how to handle this vehicle when they arrive on scene and you want to make sure they do things right.

We hope that in time Rivian will have established a list of qualified operators in each region as Tesla has apparently done. Not only do these guys have the technical savvy but the billing arrangements are in place.

 

[Count Orlok]

Note to self: drive as much as possible for the first 48 hours to stress test before the 7 day window expires...

 

[ajdelange]

No loaner available and the SC claims to not have received the truck when my app says otherwise.

Send them a screen shot from the app showing them exactly where your truck is. This is also very useful for seeing which part of the shop (or parking lot) your vehicle is located in when it is in for service.

 

[SASSquatch]

@Akay07 I'm very sorry to hear about your truck bricking on you. I hope that RIVIAN will do right by you here but I'm skeptical that RJ is going to get involved. His email is likely managed by a team of folks (he likely has an internal email that he uses for communication within RIVIAN).

While your experience is a terrible one, I will put it in perspective by sharing my own experience with an established manufacturer who has been building vehicles over 120 years longer than RIVIAN: FORD.

I took delivery of a first model year refresh of the Ford Escape which was completely redesigned for 2013. I had the fully loaded Titanium trim with the 2.0L Ecoboost engine.

Day 1 of bringing the vehicle home with exactly 12 miles on it, I was on I-95 and every damn warning light starting blinking on and off. The windows and door locks stopped working, the vehicle started to shutter and started to lose power. I managed to get it to the side of the road out of the lanes of traffic where it promptly died. I mean completely dead.

I had to have the vehicle towed back to the dealership. They get it off the tow truck the next day and they call me to tell me that it started for them in order to get it off of the tow truck but then died in the service bay and they had to push it to the lift.

They had the vehicle for two weeks replacing various components trying to isolate what the hell was going on but since it was a redesign, they were dealing with FORD engineers from corporate and they were not exactly sure what was causing the issue.

I knew the owner of the dealership, and I gave him a piece of my mind since I could have easily been in an accident and asked him if he would want his family in this vehicle?

Ford put me in a loaner (dealership car) but because the Escape was in demand, they did not have another vehicle like I configured to just give me in place of the one they were working on. Ultimately, they claimed to have replaced the ECM and several wiring harnesses and reset various modules. It took three weeks but I got the same vehicle back and to their credit, it never happened again.

While these situations absolutely suck, any new model year vehicle is going to have the requisite gremlins that have to be worked through. That experience taught me to not be an early adopter because I am frankly too old for that ? and being an early adopter is a young persons game!

I intentionally waited to put a deposit down on the RIVIAN knowing I'd get pushed a few years out with the hope that those first model year gremlins would be worked out.

Thank you for your service to that cause and I hope you get sorted, compensated for your troubles, and are back to enjoying your amazing truck soon (not s00n!).

 

[Scoiatael]

Yeah, not sure who to reach out to that is above my guide. This has to be such a rare failure...i mean within 350 miles and it failed. I just feel they should be doing more to get me a loaner and not having to tell them...no my truck was actually delivered. I would love to contact someone above my guide

They should for sure give you a loaner. Keep pushing your guide.

 

[ja_kub_sz]

My truck, I got on Saturday, just died at a light on my way home from work. Had to hard reset the truck 4 times to move it 20 yards off the side of the road. Came to a stop at red light and when I hit the accelerator, it lurched forward and i heard a noise. It showed all the usual warning lights. After a reset, I could put it in drive. it would start to move calmly and then the truck would start shaking violently and cut off. Was told to leave it on the side of road and the tow truck would get it. I think it was going to be some time for the tow truck to get it. That was heartbreaking. They stayed on the phone with me for about 20 mins and offered an Uber and I go get my enterprise rent a car tomorrow.... In the future, I would always carry a nfc card with you so they can easily work on your truck. I had to run back to work and get mine and leave it with the truck. I guess now it's a waiting game....

Update this morning....it only took 9 hours for a tow truck company to pick up the truck. I was still taking calls from the tow truck driver and rivian roadside assistance past 1230am. But my truck finally made it to the SC at 430am.

Spoke to my guide when he got into work. There are no loaners available and basically waiting to see what the SC says about the truck. Asked about the return policy and it he said it would take weeks to be refunded the purchase price. And probably only a new truck if the repairs are extensive.

My guide also said he did a zoom call with the SC manager and lead technician and they would get on my truck when it arrived.....i told him the thing is...my app and text received show the truck to be at the SC since 423am. He said they must have not done inventory....and would send them a message. This has not been a good experience thus far. Not sure what a reasonable expectation for making this right would be.

Last update today...they found the truck and blamed the tow truck driver for putting the truck some where else. They won't get to my truck on Tuesday to be able to diagnose the issue. They had other jobs infront of me taking up space. Again, just poor communication from my guide saying I would have that answer today amd they would diagnose that today. I understand stuff happens they may not be able to get to it. Just tell me that up front because he spoke to the service center right before calling me. Continued frustration with this service process on a 5 day old truck.

Extremely sorry to hear what happen. I would be devastated (drive for work a lot). Ugh... Again can't say it enough, RIVIAN SHOULD BE ON THIS ASAP AND GET YOU A LOANER TRUCK.

With a catastrophic failure like this I would want to return the car within the 7-Day window.

What was your vehicle Vin#?

I'm at day 3, mile 320 with my R1T. Fingers
crossed.

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